A BID to save nearly £3billion by slashing appointments with a doctor and treating patients via computer will put lives at risk, ministers were warned.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is planning a technological revolution that could spell the end of the traditional doctor’s surgery.

A new system of “virtual clinics” is being planned in which GPs connect with patients via iPads and Skype, an idea that NHS bosses are importing from India.

The reforms would save £2.9billion “almost immediately” and improve the lives of most patients, for example by avoiding the need to find child care during appointments, Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said last week.

However, critics are concerned the initiative would
create a two-tier NHS in which the less technologically able,
particularly the elderly, would be left behind.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham called the
plan “dangerous”, while Age UK said cutting the number of personal
appointments would erode the vital trust between doctor and patient.

We need to harness and better utilise more modern types of technology such as telehealth and mobile technology

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter

The
ideas, contained in a Health Department report called Digital First,
include arming community nurses with iPads in rural areas and making
more use of Skype video calling between GPs and patients. There will be
more online assessments “augmented” with video calls.

Mobile
phone “apps” will be used to access lab reports and health records and
negative test results will be sent by text messages rather than
delivered in person. Mr Hunt, who made a fortune by creating an internet
company, believes that while mobile broadband technology is
revolutionising most walks of life, there is a problem once ­people
encounter the relatively antiquated systems of the NHS.

The
Government is trying to fill a £20billion NHS funding gap and health
chiefs want to reduce “needless” appointments that clog up staff time.

Patients
would be encouraged not to attend GPs’ surgeries, firstly by telephone
assessments and then by video links. NHS bosses have been examining
practices in India where video-conferencing has proved successful with
some patients.

In a Westminster debate last
week, Dr Poulter said 15 million people with long-term conditions
accounted for 70 per cent of all in-patient beds. “Many such ­hospital
stays could be avoided through better management, including the better
use of mobile technologies, to prevent people from becoming so unwell in
the first place that they need to be admitted to hospital.

“We
need to harness and better utilise more modern types of technology
such as telehealth and mobile technology to support people better in
their own homes and to drive down the cost of care.

“About
one-third of patients do not necessarily need a face-to-face GP
appointment.” In a statement to the Sunday Express, he stated: “It is
important to stress that patients who are unwell and need to see their
GP will still always have quality face-to-face time with them.

“The Government also recognises that not everyone, particularly frail older people, will have easy access to the internet.”

However, Age UK’s boss Michelle Mitchell warned: “Many people of all ages still prefer human contact.

“It also gives the medical professional the chance to recognise health issues that may not be obvious from a distance.”

Katherine
Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “The
telehealth agenda must be driven by a desire to improve clinical
outcomes and patient care, not the Government’s plans to save
£20billion.”

Mr Burnham warned: “Older people who don’t have access to the internet will lose out.”